1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to the field of carrying straps for articles and specifically to the field of slings for carrying firearms.
2. Prior Art
In the past, slings in various different forms have been used for carrying firearms. A sling reduces the strain and effort required in transporting a firearm by transferring the weight of the firearm to the shoulder area of the person carrying the firearm. This reduces arm fatigue in addition to freeing the arms for carrying other objects or for carrying nothing, thereby improving balance when uneven or obstructed terrain is encountered. For carrying a rifle, for example, common gun sling arrangements include a relatively taut strap extending from the butt or shoulder resting area of the stock to a point under the barrel toward the muzzle end of the rifle. With the sling in this relatively taut position the rifle is carried somewhat vertically, usually behind one's shoulder, with the strap extending vertically over the front of the shoulder and the muzzle pointing either up or down. In the second carrying arrangement, the strap is again fastened at both ends to the rifle; however, the strap is somewhat less taut. In this arrangement the rifle can be carried angularly across the back of the person carrying it, with the strap extending angularly across the front of the person, from either shoulder to near the opposite waistline. In either of the aforedescribed carrying positions, the required length of the strap is dependent on the distance between the points at which the strap is fastened to the firearm, as well as on the size of the person carrying the firearm. Hence, the strap must be adjusted for various persons carrying the same firearm or for different firearms carried by the same person using the same gun sling.
In addition to carrying a firearm, slings are also used to aid in steadying the firearm for shooting. By strapping the rifle to the arm of the person firing it, various muscle groups of the upper body can be used in an opposing manner, thereby steadying the gun. Again, various gun sling positions are used when a firearm is fired. In one position, commonly called the "hasty sling" position, the strap of the sling is fastened at both ends to the firearm, and the gun supporting arm of the marksman is intertwined with the strap. The length required for the strap will vary from firearm to firearm, again dependent on the distance between the points at which the sling is attached to the firearm; and the required length of the sling will also vary from marksman to marksman, depending on arm length and thickness and general upper body size as well as on the preferred arm orientation for the marksman in relationship to his firearm.
In the second shooting position, commonly referred to as a "target sling" position, the sling is attached to the firearm only at the forward or muzzle end, and the distal end of the strap is secured around the upper arm of the marksman. Proper adjustment of the sling must be made at both ends, on the one end to snuggly surround the marksman's upper arm, and at the other end to achieve a proper overall sling length which will hold the butt of the firearm against the marksman's shoulder when the gun is held in the shooting position. Again, these adjustments will vary from person to person as well as from firearm to firearm.
Frequently, it is desirable to alter a gun sling from one position to another. For example, when hunting, a hunter may carry his rifle in an over-the-shoulder position while walking to his desired hunting area. Once there, it may be desirable to then adjust the firearm to a hasty sling position, or if stationary hunting is being done, the hunter may even desire to use the target sling position. If game is encountered unexpectedly, it is desirable to change from a carrying position to a hasty or target sling position quickly, easily, and with little commotion to frighten the game.
Slings used in the past frequently were incapable of convenient, quick alteration from one sling position to another. Often belt-type buckles were used at one or the other or both ends of the sling, and adjustment of the sling required changing the hole engaging pin of the buckle from one hole to another. Normally, this cannot be done easily with a sling which is secured around the arm of the marksman, and proper adjustment can require a trial-and-error type approach to positioning the strap in various holes until the proper one for the particular firearm and marksman is achieved. Since this type of sling will have only discrete locations into which it can be adjusted, a particular marksman with a particular firearm may need to create additional intermediate holes in which the belt-type buckle can be secured, as his most comfortable sling position may require securing the engaging pin intermediate the supplied securing locations. Again, this will only be determined from trial and error, and if a person not normally using a particular firearm or sling is in a situation where he must use the firearm or sling, he may not be able to properly adjust it easily for utmost comfort.
Other types of slings commonly used in the past have included various loops, straps and short lengths of webbing secured and fastened by buckles, rivets, or other keepers, and frequently the known slings are attached to the firearm in fashions which are inconvenient for rapid detachment or adjustment.